College Democrats petition, protest for Marquette to disassociate from alumna after her controversial past writings resurfaced

Natalie Wickman, Executive News Editor|March 15, 2016

In one of her pieces Bradley wrote, "Heterosexual sex is very healthy in a loving marital relationship. Homosexual sex, however, kills." Photo via media.jrn.com; Published in The Marquette Tribune on Nov. 11, 1992

Bradley graduated from the College of Business Administration in 1992 with an Honors Bachelor of Science in business administration and economics. The writings were columns and letters to the editor published by The Marquette Tribune under her maiden name Rebecca Grassl. The pieces criticize gays and former President Bill Clinton, in addition to comparing abortion to slavery and the Holocaust.

“The opinions, written by Bradley and published in these articles, are not only insensitive but distinctly aimed at the exclusion of certain students from a welcoming campus community,” the group said in an emailed press release. “As we read them, we find her comments to be mocking, derisive and hateful.”

The group set up an online petition calling for the university to “formally disassociate” with Bradley. It does not specify how the university should disassociate, other than providing a statement on the matter.

“Despite the political nature of our organization, we are not seeking a partisan response from the university,” the group said in the petition. “We are simply asking the university to reaffirm its commitment to its mission of ‘seeking to become a more diverse and inclusive academic community dedicated to the promotion of justice.'”

Chris Jenkins, associate director of university communication, declined to comment last week. He said policy doesn’t allow the university to comment on political races or candidates.

“We believe that in this matter, silence equates to indifference,” the group said about Marquette. “When students see our university’s name printed alongside such vitriolic language, many of us are made to feel unappreciated, intimidated and unsafe.”

Bradley’s old writings resurfaced last week, around a month before an election that will decide if she will keep her court seat. Gov. Scott Walker appointed her to state Supreme Court in October 2015 by Gov. Scott Walker to finish the term of the late Justice N. Patrick Crooks. The group will protest Bradley at tonight’s state Supreme Court debate in the Marquette Law School.

One of Bradley’s pieces likens abortion to “a time in history when Jews were treated as non-humans and tortured and murdered,” and “a time in history when blacks were treated as something less than human.” She said readers should be offended because they “really need to wake up.”

“Either you condone drug use, homosexuality, AIDS-producing sex, adultery and murder and are therefore a bad person, or you didn’t know that (Clinton) supports abortion on demand and socialism, which means you are dumb,” Bradley said in one of the pieces.

Charles Breeden, associate economics professor emeritus, said Bradley was in his economics and law class in 1992. He encouraged her to go to law school, and they kept in touch throughout her professional career.

“(Bradley) was one of my best students in class,” Breeden said. “She excelled.”

Despite the writings, Breeden said he didn’t see any intolerance from Bradley while she was his student. He said he saw, and still sees, nothing but, “the finest awareness and sensitivity from her.”

“She just went on a tirade – she kind of vented,” Breeden said about Bradley’s writings. “She used language I’m sure she regrets and regretted at the time, but, you know, she was on a roll.”

One Response to “College Democrats petition, protest for Marquette to disassociate from alumna after her controversial past writings resurfaced”

Sam on
March 24th, 2016 6:17 pm

What has happened to my alma mater? These Democrats would be the first to tell you how “open minded” they are, but by that they mean they have a hole in their head. They support free speech as long as its free speech they agree with, otherwise its called “hate speech”. Kind of reminds me of the Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, but it doesn’t matter what I say. They’ll just dismiss me with some term that marginalizes me and dismisses my views in their eyes.